Tag: llv news

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has told the court that a police officer from Karnataka helped in a gold smuggling case involving actress Ranya Rao. DRI argued against Ranya getting bail, saying she traveled to Dubai 27 times since January this year. Ranya is the stepdaughter of a senior police officer, K Ramachandra Rao.

The investigation has revealed advanced methods used to smuggle gold, including using the police to get through security, and pushing money from India to Dubai through secret channels (called Hawala) to buy gold. The DRI suggests that there is a larger group involved in this smuggling operation. Because of these points, the court denied Ranya bail on Friday.

Judge Vishwanath C Gowdar noted that Ranya holds a UAE Resident Identity Card and has a record of traveling to Dubai multiple times this year, which made it hard for the court to give her bail. The DRI also complained that Ranya did not cooperate during the investigation. They stated that the crime is serious, could lead to up to seven years in prison, and affects India’s economy and security.

The court mentioned that there is a strong hint of conspiracy in how Ranya worked with the police officer. The DRI highlighted that the use of secret money transfers and international connections discovered during the investigation add to the seriousness of the case. The judge expressed concern that Ranya might tamper with evidence or intimidate witnesses, which would disrupt the trial.

Gold bars worth ₹12.56 crores were found with Ranya when she arrived at Kempegowda International Airport from Dubai on March 3. In raids on her home, officials also found gold jewelry worth ₹2.06 crores and cash of ₹2.67 crores.

The Enforcement Directorate and CBI are also looking into this case. The Karnataka government has appointed Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta to examine if Ranya’s stepfather, Ramachandra Rao, had any involvement in her smuggling activities. The government also asked the CID to investigate any mistakes made by police at the airport, but later withdrew the order.

In an important decision, the Kerala High Court has allowed a 50-year-old woman to become a mother through surrogacy. This ruling is under a law called the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021. A panel of judges overturned a previous decision that had stopped the woman from using a surrogate because of her age. They pointed out that the law actually allows surrogacy for women between 23 and 50 years old, which includes women who have just turned 50.

The woman and her husband had argued against a decision made by the Kerala State Assisted Reproductive Technology and Surrogacy Board (KSARTSB), which said she couldn’t use surrogacy because of her age. The board’s decision was first supported by a single judge, but the higher court changed this ruling and ordered the board to give the woman an approval certificate within a week.

The big question was whether a woman who has already turned 50 could still qualify for surrogacy. The woman’s birthdate is June 24, 1974, confirming she is 50. The initial ruling had said she was not eligible, based on the idea that a person is considered to reach a specific age the day before their birthday.

However, the division bench looked at how different laws define age. They noted that another law, the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Act, says women must be over 21 but under 50 for certain procedures. The judges discussed that surrogacy is much more about emotional connections than medical risks.

The court emphasized that the Surrogacy Act is meant to stop bad practices, like forcing women to be surrogates or choosing the sex of babies, not to block women who genuinely want to become mothers. They recognized that this might be the woman’s last chance to experience motherhood, which is important for many people. The judges concluded that the law should make it possible for mothers to have children, rather than keep them from having that chance.